Iceland the land of fire and ice. It is not without reason that our magnificent country gets that very enormous title. After all Iceland is very much alive, with erupting volcanoes, powerful earthquakes, and roaring glaciers. In fact some of the largest glaciers in all of Europe. Iceland is also very much known for all of its geothermal powers, and let us tell you we have a lot of it. If you haven’t guessed it yet, this months blog is dedicated to our awesome geothermal power!
Seeing as Iceland is located on a continental drift it is known to be the most geothermically active places on our planet. When people start researching Iceland or discussing what makes Iceland so different than other places around the world, the focus tends to be on the landscape. What really makes Iceland so unique is what lies beneath the landscape: the geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is, as it sounds –
heat (thermal) from the earth (geo); which typically comes from the sub-surface of the earth, but can also be found as far down as the earth’s hot molten core. The heat is contained in the ground (rocks) and water in the earth. The heat, either liquid or steam, is accessed by digging deep wells into the ground. Depending on how deep the heat reservoirs are located, the depth of the wells will vary. With the vast amount of volcanic activity in Iceland, the hot water and steam resources are endless.
Pumps are used to draw the water from wells and depending on the temperature (it can be boiling) the water may need to be mixed with cold water (also plentiful in Iceland from the glaciers) to regulate temperature.
The water and the steam can also be harvested to drove turbines connected to electric generators to produce clean electrical power.
Many farms and homesteads in Iceland have geothermal wells and glacier waterfalls on their property, which allow them to run their homes entirely on clean energy – 100% off the grid!
A handful of our previous clients have opted on adding a geothermal location to their wedding day. No matter what time of the year it is, their wedding photographs are always mystic and breathtaking. This February Elopement has some examples of wedding photos taken in a geothermal area. The natural smoke coming out of the earths core really does add to the atmosphere. We highly recommend adding a geothermal location to your Iceland Wedding experience.
Are you not ready to commit to having a geothermal location added to your wedding day? That is completely fine. Do not fret we have you completely covered. Located all over Iceland you can find numerous natural hot springs. The most famous one being the Blue Lagoon. (Pro tip: if you do plan on hitting up a natural hot spring, we highly recommend keeping your hair out of the water. Hell give your hair and extra treat while indulge in the spa like ambiance and put on a hair mask.) The Blue Lagoon Retreat is the perfect place to end your Iceland wedding seeing as it is so close the the airport.
Are you science junkie with loads of wisdom about geothermal heat and energy, but have not had the chance to see it up close and personal? Then Iceland is the perfect location for you to visit, better yet have your Iceland wedding! Come on over and check out all that our country has to offer including (but not limited to) boiling geysers, waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes. Contact Us today and we can get started planning your amazing Iceland wedding!